Eddie Van Halen-Played 1986 Kramer Custom, “Tic Tac Toe” Charvel, “No Bozos” Custom Guitars to Be Auctioned

Eddie Van Halen playing a 1986 Kramer Custom
(Image credit: Gotta Have Rock and Roll)

A number of autographed, Eddie Van Halen-played guitars are set to be auctioned by Gotta Have Rock and Roll.

The headliner of the group is a heavily-used, hand-made, -painted, and -striped 1986 Custom Kramer Striped guitar that Eddie used prominently during Van Halen's 5150 tour.

Gifted by Eddie to Van Halen guitar tech Kevin “King” Dugan at the conclusion of the 5150 tour, the guitar was stolen from a recording studio in Cleveland, then retrieved, after which Eddie re-painted and re-autographed the guitar, hence the "To my buddy Kevin!! V.H. ‘95” message on its body.

The guitar is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Dugan, which details its history. Given its provenance, Gotta Have Rock and Roll has valued it at a staggering $600,000 – $800,000, with an equally jaw-dropping minimum bid of $400,000.

A 1986 Kramer Custom guitar once owned by Eddie Van Halen

A 1986 Kramer Custom guitar once owned by Eddie Van Halen (Image credit: Gotta Have Rock and Roll)

Also going under the hammer is a Van Halen-played Kramer Frankenstrat copy. Custom-made and hand-striped by Dan Handerson from original Kramer parts, prior to his time as a Van Halen stage tech, Eddie played the guitar during a soundcheck prior to a show on Van Halen's 1995 Balance tour.

Unable to play the guitar onstage due to his then-deal with Ernie Ball Music Man, Eddie autographed the guitar with the words “Nice copy Dan! ‘95," and, ironically, "Not for Resale.”

Valued at $100,000 – $150,000, the guitar has a minimum bid of $50,000. It comes with a certificate of authenticity.

An Eddie Van Halen-played Frankenstrat copy

An Eddie Van Halen-played Frankenstrat copy by Dan Handerson (Image credit: Gotta Have Rock and Roll)

Up for sale as well is a 2004 "Tic Tac Toe" Charvel, one of the first models in the EVH-designed 2004 Charvel Art Series. Said to be the only Art Series model that Eddie hand-striped in its entirety, the guitar was played by the six-string legend during an August 5, 2004 Van Halen show in Phoenix, Arizona.

Sold with photographs of Eddie Van Halen striping this guitar, the guitar is valued by Gotta Have Rock and Roll at $200,000 – $250,000. The minimum bid for the instrument is $150,000.

A "Tic Tac Toe" Charvel used by Eddie Van Halen

A "Tic Tac Toe" Charvel used by Eddie Van Halen (Image credit: Gotta Have Rock and Roll)

Finally, there's an EVH-played and -signed, fan-made custom guitar bearing the "No Bozos" logo. The unnamed fan brought the guitar to 5150 Studios, where Eddie played and signed the guitar, and posed for a photo with its owner.

That photo comes included with the guitar, which is valued at $20,000 – $30,000, and has a minimum bid of $15,000.

A custom guitar played and signed by Eddie Van Halen

A custom guitar played and signed by Eddie Van Halen (Image credit: Gotta Have Rock and Roll)

The auction for all four of these Eddie Van Halen-played and -signed guitars opens tomorrow, Wednesday, April 14.

For more info on the guitars, stop by gottahaverockandroll.com.

Jackson Maxwell
Associate Editor, GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com

Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.